The General LL.M. Program allows lawyers who have demonstrated success in their legal education, their practice, or both, to create individualized programs designed to take their careers to the next level. LL.M. students have access to nearly the entire J.D. curriculum, and admitted students receive one-on-one academic advisement in the selection of their courses to help them navigate through our substantial range of course offerings and out-of-the-classroom learning opportunities. The program takes one year to complete. Our dynamic classrooms give LL.M. students the opportunity to learn alongside students in our three- and two-year J.D. programs and share their global perspectives, enriching our community both in and out of class.

Many General LL.M. students use the degree to satisfy jurisdictional requirements for the admission of foreign-trained lawyers to practice law, including those of the New York Board of Law Examiners and the National Committee on Accreditation in Canada.

Requirements: Admission to the General LL.M. Program requires a first degree in law. Students must take a minimum of 24 credits to complete the General LL.M. degree, including a minimum of three credits of experiential learning. Courses qualifying as experiential include externships, clerkships, clinical programs and practica, as well as a variety of in-class courses. International students will additionally take a two-credit legal research and writing class and a two-credit course that introduces the United States legal system.

The remainder of the students’ coursework will comprise electives from the entirety of the law school’s course offerings.

Students interested in taking the New York Bar Exam will be advised on the courses needed to satisfy the Bar’s requirements.